1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of alert systems and, more specifically, to a method and system for providing an alert using wireless telecommunication technology.
2. Background and Related Art
Various mechanisms exist to alert the public, such as the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS, which replaced the Emergency Broadcast System in 1994, was established by the FCC as a tool for the President and others to warn the public about emergency situations. In the EAS system, described at http://www.fcc.gov/eb/eas/ which is incorporated herein by reference, broadcast stations and cable systems are used to disseminate emergency information at federal, state, and local levels.
Another approach is to use a specific location alert receiver to alert members of the public. For example, such a receiver can be a device that is plugged into a common household electrical outlet. The alert of the receiver is activated by an incoming transmission from an authorized authority with access to a transmitting source in the specific area of the devices such as cell phone towers or transmitting vehicles and activates any number of devices within one home and/or all homes simultaneously. Additionally, the device can be mobile so as to be powered at remote locations.
Yet another approach is to require users to subscribe to an alerting service, wherein a subscriber database is maintained for storing information on the subscribers. Users may be required to pay a subscription fee in order to receive alerts from the alerting service. Additionally, these services often require a user to provide personal information beyond what is necessary to alert the user, for example, information on age, gender, yearly income, etc.
However, public broadcasting systems such as the EAS suffer from various drawbacks. For example, broadcasting alert information to all of the radios and televisions in a particular location may not be effective in reaching those individuals who are not near a radio or television.
Furthermore, a person's radio and/or television must be turned on in order for them to receive the alert information. Unlike with cellular phones, these devices are usually not turned on except during actual use by their owner. Even further, these broadcasting systems are limited in their ability to narrowly target a percentage of the population and/or a specific location, wherein those persons receiving the alert who are outside of the hazard area may become de-sensitized to future alert broadcasts. Further still, these broadcasting systems indiscriminately provide the alert information to an area and fail to consider that individuals may be outside the alert area, for example, away on vacation. Even further, because periodic test broadcasts may be required to insure that the broadcasting system is in working order, the population at large may become de-sensitized to broadcast alert indications.
Likewise, devices such as specific location alert receivers also have various drawbacks. For example, users are required to purchase, install, and maintain separate equipment for the purpose of receiving alerts. Furthermore, users must carry around this additional equipment in order for it to be effective in providing alerts away from the user's home.
Additionally, subscription-based alert services also have various drawbacks. For example, users must provide their information in advance to receive any alerts, and often must pay a periodic subscription fee as well. Thus, in practice, users may not have the time, energy, desire, etc. to proactively subscribe to an alert service. Furthermore, users are discouraged from subscribing to these alert services out of fear that their personal information may be misused, such as for sending unsolicited messages (i.e., spam), or simply sold to third parties without their consent. Also, users may deem these services cost prohibitive.
Furthermore, subscription alert services require users to voluntarily subscribe. Therefore, because a large percentage of cell phone owners elect not to subscribe to any alert service, subscription alert services represent an ineffective tool for alerting a large percentage of the population in a targeted geographical region.
Thus, there is an unmet need for utilizing existing wireless communication devices and networks, such as cellular phones and carriers, as an underlying infrastructure in providing emergency information to a targeted percentage of the population in a specified geographical location, without requiring individuals to subscribe to an alerting service and without using information solicited from or provided by the intended recipients of the alert.
Indeed, there are approximately one-hundred seventy-three million cell phones in North America, with the number increasing yearly. This roughly breaks down into one-hundred thirty-seven million cell phones in the United States, twenty-three million cell phones in Mexico, and thirteen million cell phones in Canada. Furthermore, nearly all of these phones are capable of receiving and displaying text messages.